Dragon Clan
Find your Own Path
In the northern reaches of Rokugan sprawl the territories of the Dragon Clan, a harsh landscape encompassing the rugged, remote mountains known as The Great Wall of the North. A forbidding region of frozen, mist-shrouded mountain peaks and deep, shadowed valleys, most of these lands have rarely, or even never felt the tread of human feet. Access is difficult, and in some cases nearly impossible—particularly in the long, cold months of winter. Only the southernmost portion of the lands of the Dragon Clan, where the looming mountains give way to rolling foothills, can truly be considered hospitable. This does not mean, however, that the Dragon have merely settled for these desolate lands, or been granted them because of some sort of disfavor by the Emperor. Indeed, the clan settled here by the choice of their founder, the Kami Togashi, who saw the barren, craggy lands as a place to which he could retire in isolation, free from worldly concerns, and untroubled by the complex politics and social niceties of the broader Empire to the south. The bleak environment suited the contemplative Kami, who drew upon the privation and discomfort of the harsh lands as a means of focusing his mental energies. His first adherents doggedly followed him to these forsaken lands, and from them, the Dragon Clan was born. The Dragon Clan is unlike the other clans of Rokugan in other ways, beyond their embracing such bleak, isolated lands. In the case of the other Great Clans, their founding Kami long ago departed the mortal realm, leaving their descendants to carry on their bloodline, and lead their clans into the present day. Not so Togashi, however. The enigmatic Kami has remained in the mortal realm. This is not, however, known even within the Dragon Clan, save for a choice few samurai.
Structure
Families of the Dragon Clan
Three of the four families of the Dragon Clan—the Mirumoto Family, the Agasha Family , and the Kitsuki Family—generally conform to the basic nature of Great Clan families throughout the Empire. The Mirumoto and Agasha were formed by those namesake individuals, the Kami Togashi’s first, and most loyal followers. The Kitsuki were a later addition to the clan, derived from an especially notable member of the Agasha family. In most ways, such origins for these families are broadly similar to the origins of most of the families of the other Great clans. The Dragon Clan’s fourth family, the Togashi Order, are completely unique, however. Like other leading families among the Great Clans, the Togashi were formed by the clan’s founding Kami. It is there that the similarity ends. The Togashi family is not, in fact, a true ‘family’ at all, but is more like a monastic order. Its members do not share a common bloodline traced from their Kami, but rather join the family in response to particular calling, specific to that individual. Samurai throughout the rest of the Empire are most likely to see the Dragon Clan in the form of members of the Mirumoto, Kitsuki, or less frequently, the Agasha families. When they think of the Dragon Clan, however, they are probably more likely to envision the enigmatic, tattooed monks of the Togashi.
Culture
The Dragon Clan is diverse in its pursuits, even among members of the same schools and traditions. However, it is unified in one philosophy— a philosophy of commitment to the betterment of one’s self and, therefore, the betterment of the whole Empire. Despite the individuality displayed by Dragon Clan samurai, they have been united in their task to watch over the Empire and record its history— which occasionally means coming down from their seclusion in the northern mountains to experience the Empire face-to-face.
Public Agenda
Duty
The secret of the Dragon was that they were guided by their founder's foresight. Togashi's followers had acquired a reputation for strange behavior, secluded in the northern mountains of Rokugan, the Dragon were a mysterious and individualistic clan who chased individual enlightenment. Some said their beloved paradoxes and puzzles were no more than a game, triviality masquerading as depth. For a thousand years, the Dragon Clan have watched over the others, recording the history of Rokugan. The Dragon sought to ensure the Empire did not become too self-focused and solipsistic.
Bushido
Sincerity—aligning one’s words and deeds with one’s intentions—is the greatest virtue to the Dragon Clan. In this way, its samurai may remain true to themselves even if they should fail. While members of the Dragon Clan take their obligations seriously, they define Duty and Loyalty somewhat differently than most other samurai. To a Dragon, unquestioning loyalty is not loyalty at all, and Dragon Clan lords have been known to tolerate and even value criticism that others would see as grave insubordination.
History
The Fall of the Kami
After the Fall of the Kami from the Celestial Heavens they held The Tournament of the Kami to determine who would rule. Once the tournament was over and Kami Hantei was declared the winner they realized that Kami Togashi had declined to fight. Kami Hida saw this as an act of cowardice, but Hantei was wise enough to realize that Togashi refused to fight because he had known all along what the outcome was going to be. Togashi then retreated into the mountains of northern Rokugan to live in quiet solitude and reflection. However, his peace did not last, as he was followed there by two men, Mirumoto and Agasha. These two became his first followers and the three built a temple to Amaterasu surrounded by a castle to protect it. Over the years Togashi's followers grew in number. Those seeking his wisdom took the Togashi family name, while those showing any skill with the blade were taken in by Mirumoto and trained by him in his niten or two-sword technique. Those who showed an affinity for the elements and magic were taught by Agasha. The Dragon were secluded, and for the next thousand years they would rarely leave their mountains or interfere with the politics and actions of the other clans.
Togashi and Shinsei
It is said that five years after the Kami fell from the Heavens, Togashi traveled to the remote and desolate northern mountains and sat in a high place, from which he could look south, across the Empire. He sought, in his solitude, to contemplate, and come to understand the purpose and nature of mortal existence, as expressed by the teachings of Shinsei. He refused to eat, drink or sleep until he did. His two first, and most devoted followers, Mirumoto and Agasha, desperately tried to persuade the Kami to eat and drink, as his mortal form required sustenance. Togashi stubbornly refused. Finally, they turned to Shinsei himself for help. The Little Teacher came to Togashi, sat beside him, and asked the Kami his intent. Togashi, now near death, said he would not eat or drink until he understood mortal existence. Shinsei simply replied, “And neither will I.”
When Togashi realized that Shinsei was serious, he came to understand that his particular path may be his alone, but also that it affected others, and that the Enlightenment he sought could not be gained in such a way. It is from this event that the fundamental nature of the Dragon Clan was derived—that each mortal must find their own way to Enlightenment but must do so with the understanding that they will affect the paths of myriad others along the way. In the ensuing centuries, the prophetic intuitions of their founding Kami have deeply influenced the Dragon Clan. From the perspective of the rest of the Empire, the Dragon seem inconsistent in its approach to Imperial affairs. Sometimes, they are quick to insert themselves into such affairs, often in pivotal ways. In other cases, however, the Dragon seem strangely reluctant involve themselves, and will only do so in a limited way, or will even remain altogether aloof and entirely uninvolved.
Many in the Empire find this maddening, and some even resent the Dragon for it. To them, it seems that the clan moves in accordance with unpredictable whims. They either immerse themselves in affairs to an extent that those involved see as meddling or ignore events which would seem of great importance. In either case, the Dragon’s behavior seems to bear little relation to a rational, deliberate approach to events in Rokugan.
Those who believe this do not realize how wrong they are. Through his visions, Togashi discerns those times when intervention would be beneficial, or even necessary, and those times when it would not. In this way, the Dragon Clan exercises a profound, if poorly understood or appreciated influence on the Empire as a whole, applying its efforts mainly to those historical “hinge points” where their involvement will have the greatest impact. Just as this relative detachment from the Empire and its day-to-day affairs has given Rokugan a particular view of the Dragon Clan, it has, in turn, given the Dragon a unique perspective on the Empire. In many respects, the history of the Empire, as observed by the Dragon—and particularly the Togashi family—is likely the most objectively correct version available. The clan invests great effort into watching over Rokugan, so that they, guided by Togashi’s visions, can either engage in events with the greatest effect, or else remain entirely removed from them. However, the Dragon Clan has not encapsulated its myriad social, cultural, and other observations into a set of formal histories, like those maintained in the archives of the Ikoma or the Seppun. Instead, they are recorded in myriad documents, scrolls, treatises, and essays, all held in different collections, or are preserved as oral histories and, in some cases, even as memories of past lives lived through the endless turn of the Karmic Wheel.
Low Birth Numbers
Eventually the Dragon began to dwindle with every passing year. The problem had crept up on them for a century or more, before the Kitsuki family noticed it. The Dragon were not having enough children, and they were willing to turn even to the peasantry to find new heirs. Togashi, founder of the Clan, had not left the Mortal Realm like the rest of the Great Clan founders, and no mortal knows this. The presence of Togashi among the Dragon had caused the clan's declining birth-rate, because the proximity of a Kami inhibited the rebirth of souls into the Mortal Realm.
Heresy
The Perfect Land Sect flourished for years in the hinterlands of Dragon territory, in the villages too small to have names.
Territories
Togashi value solitude, a trait shared by all of his successors, and established his lands in the fringes of the range known as the Great Wall of the North. To the south lay the Drowned Merchant River, the border with the Lion Clan. The Dragon commerce is notable on the gold market. Dragon lands are dominated by the Great Wall of the North mountains, and pathways through these mountains are mazelike. Dragon lands in the south begin with the lowlands of the Mirumoto Provinces. Mostly hills and meadows, they contain all of the clan's farms and businesses. The lands culminate in Shiro Mirumoto to the north at the foot of the Great Wall of the North, where all business with the outside world is conducted. Next are the Kitsuki Provinces, also known as the Gateway to the Wall, which contain the smallest peaks of the Great Wall with several twisting valleys which can easily confuse visitors. There are a few mining towns and herding villages, but overall it is sparsely populated. To the north of the provinces lies Shiro Kitsuki, the home of the diplomatic corps of the Dragon Clan. Next are the Tamori Provinces, also known as the Twisting Labyrinth, which are where the truly isolated parts of Dragon lands begin. There are very few travelers in these parts, and it is barely populated. Flora and fauna thrive, and it is a suitable place for yaks, snow foxes and mountain goats.
The Wild North
The Great Wall of the North Mountains extend across the entire northern edge of the Empire. Their rocky feet are washed by the ocean in the east; from there, they extend westward, through the lands of the Dragon, then across the northernmost lands of the Unicorn Clan, finally turning southward to merge with the Spine of the World Mountains that traverse central Rokugan. This vast range separates Rokugan from the dry, barren sprawl of lands to the north, which can only be readily accessed through the Unicorn lands, through the treacherous pass known as Defiant’s Path. Would-be travelers who do not wish to use this pass must brave the mountains themselves—an enormously difficult, dangerous, and time-consuming journey even in good weather, and all but impossible in times of inclement weather, especially the winter. The Dragon Clan occupies these mountainous lands in the west, where the rugged foothills known as the Great Climb give way to the plains of the Unicorn Clan, to the Dragon Heart Plain the in the east, a barren flatland separating the Dragon lands from those of the Phoenix Clan. Another expanse of craggy foothills known as the Great Fall, that lays south of the Dragon Heart Plain, is also nominally under Dragon control, but frequent volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides preclude any significant development. The vast majority of this region is virtually inaccessible. Some of the highest mountain peaks in Rokugan soar skyward, their peaks shrouded in drifting clouds, snow glistening pristine white on their upper reaches all through the year. Their sheer flanks plunge into steep, shadowed valleys, many choked with ice and snow even in the summer, nameless rivers rushing through their depths. Spectacular scenery abounds, but roads and trails are few and far between. These lands are mainly given to the stewardship of the Togashi and Agasha families, the former maintaining only a few, isolated holdings, mostly secluded shrines and temples. The lands of the Agasha are somewhat better developed but are still wild and primitive compared to most of the rest of the Empire. There is some food production in the fertile soil of river valleys, but this region mostly produces ore of various types—gold, copper and iron being the most common— and stone.
The Tame South
To call the southern lands of the Dragon tame is something of an overstatement. It is certainly true compared to the lands of the Togashi and the Agasha, but by the standards of most Imperial lands, they are still largely rugged and difficult to access or develop. These lands encompass the foothills of the Great Wall of the North Mountains, themselves a formidable range of steep ridges and barren peaks; only in their southernmost extremities do they give way to the rolling hills and, eventually, the relatively flat plains of the Dragonfly and the Lion clans. Stewardship of these lands is given over to the Mirumoto and the Kitsuki families. The latter oversee the flattest and most fertile lands, which represent the bulk of the Dragon’s arable territory. The more rugged foothill regions are controlled by the Kitsuki, under whom numerous mining and quarrying operations thrive. It is from this region that the Dragon Clan produces most of its gold, which allows it to buy and import the bulk of food that their people require. It is in these more hospitable lands that the Dragon conducts most of its commercial and political interactions with the rest of the Empire. The Tonbo, or Dragonfly Clan, acts as gatekeepers for the Dragon, a tradition that dates back to that Minor Clan’s formation by samurai of the Dragon and Phoenix clans. Visitors who are approved by the Dragonfly—and by the Dragon delegation permanently located at Kyūden Tonbo—are then guided northward, normally to Shiro Kitsuki. Travelers with more specific business, particularly involving military matters, are led, instead, to Shiro Mirumoto. It is rare for outsiders to travel further north, into the lands of the Agasha or the Togashi, unless they have particularly good and compelling reasons for doing so.
Military
The Dragon train their bushi alongside shugenja and ise zumi, and small units of the clan are terrifyingly effective and unique opponents. With fast and powerful attacks, Dragon armies separated their enemies and defeated each individual unit over lightning-quick campaigns. Reflecting the Dragon's individualist bent, its armies were separated into neatly organized lineups of troops. Each one operated independently of the others on the battlefield. Tactics and structure were organized to support a battle style of constant, coordinated aggression. Their signature warrior was the Togashi Ise Zumi.
Foreign Relations
Crab Clan
The Crab hides in his shell. The seagull lifts him into the sky and drops him and then eats the crushed remains. The badger turns him over and eats him from the inside out. His shell is his weakness. If he casts away his weakness, he can still use his pincers.
Crane Clan
The Crane rely on the weakness of others instead of their own strengths.
Lion Clan
The Lion is sleepy until roused, and then it is ferocious. If you keep the Lion sleepy, it is of no danger to you, but also reluctant to come to your aid.
Phoenix Clan
The Phoenix are our brothers reborn in the fires of knowledge. We are both seeking the same thing, but our roads are different. Some times they cross, however, and then we regain our bearings and learn how close we are and - sometimes - decide to switch paths.
Scorpion Clan
Do not let the Scorpion mislead you. It is not the pincers that can kill you. It is the tail that it keeps hidden behind its back.
Unicorn Clan
What can be said of the Unicorn? They say the sighting of a Unicorn is good luck. Fortune is theirs, but she is a fickle mistress, easily turned against you with baubles and empty praise.
Education
Dragon Clan (CR, pg 44)
- Agasha Family (CR, pg 51)
- Agasha Alchemist School (Shugenja) (CelR, pg 80)
- Agasha Mystic School (Shugenja) (CR, pg 66)
- Agasha Ascetic School (Shugenja, Bushi) (FoV, pg 72)
- Kitsuki Family (CR, pg 51)
- Kitsuki Investigator School (Courtier, Bushi) (CR, pg 67)
- Mirumoto Family (CR, pg 51)
- Mirumoto Taoist Blade School (Bushi, Monk) (Sds, pg 92)
- Mirumoto Two-Heavens Adept School (Bushi) (CR, pg 68)
- Togashi Order (CR, pg 51)
- Togashi Chronicler School (Courtier, Monk) (CoS, pg 97)
- Togashi Tattooed Order (Monk) (CR, pg 69)
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